New date for the Marine Scotland pre-consultation event: 8th August 2018, Fairlie Village Hall, 2 pm to 7pm.

In April 2018 NAC granted Peelports planning permission to prepare a ‘marine yard’ and the coal jetty for dismantling oil rigs and large vessels without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). That means they can dredge, pile drive, and re-landscape coast line without needing to protect the unique adjacent SSSI, colonies of seals and porpoises, a unique ‘lone’ dolphin, and the Clyde marine area which is highly dependent upon tourism and fisheries.

However, SEPA and Marine Scotland also need to give Peelports permission to do this. We need to make sure our voices are heard and Peelports are made to do an EIA at the very least.

Peelports are currently demolitioning equipment on the Coal Jetty, working at least 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. The beach and waters are being contaminated with silt and coal dust which our families and dogs are swimming in and playing on. How much worse will this be when oil rigs are being taken apart there?

In June we put a leaflet through your door asking you to attend Marine Scotland’s pre-consultation public event at Sea Mill Hydro regarding the construction of a huge ‘caisson gate’ which will allow oil rigs to float in and out of the marine yard. The hotel actually cancelled the event due to “concerns about public order”. At that time, 1400 people had signed the on-line petition “Protect Clyde Marine Life: STOP PeelPorts Oil-Rig Decommissioning Facility” *. Now over 2200 have signed and rising!

Jobs for local people have not been promised, and at other similar sites employees are living on ‘off shore accommodation’ and contributing very little to the local economies.

We need to make sure that Marine Scotland deny permission, or at worst require an EIA. We know that about four tonnes of radioactive waste (scale, sludge and sediments) has been found in each offshore installation decommissioned in Norway. We will also have to cope with the noise and light pollution.

FCC met with Peelports on the 12th July when Peelports told them that after 50 years at the Hunterston Parc they know the site is very profitable. The meeting notes will be published in the next few days.

Help us to help you to live in a safe and clean environment.

Sign the petition * and come along on the 8th August 2018 to make your views heard by Marine Scotland.

If decommissioning oil rigs and large vessels would guarantee real jobs for local people to then boost our local economy, and protect our unique marine coastline – then maybe… BUT IT ISN’T!

NAC have approved the first stages of construction without requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment, (EIA). This means Peel Ports can pile drive, dredge and deposit materials without statutory controls specific to this beautiful location, as well as not consider the unique marine and coastal environment. This is like building a car factory and not assessing the environmental impact until making the first car. Building the site , as well as the planned decommissioning operation will cause real damage.

Following recent publicity in the Largs and Millport Weekly News,Peel Port had to cancel their pre-consultation meeting on the 14th June at Seamill Hydro, because the hotel were concerned about ‘public order’. 1900 people have now signed the petition against this.

FCC have been since been invited to a closed meeting with Peel Ports, which we will tell you about in another post, and we will also invite them to our village for a public meeting!

Cesscon who intend to operate the decommissioning have already started to promote Hunterston PARC. Look at the video and make up your mind.

Have you heard the noise coming off the proposed ‘Asset Preparation’ jetty this week, with only one of their machines operating? This is just making the jetty ready for future works. If the plans go ahead, operations will take place 24/7, meaning that residents will have to cope with the noise and air pollutants. The local dolphins, porpoises, whales, seals, and birds, are equally at risk.

The petition link is at the top and below on this page. Please, sign and share if you want to help stop this development from happening.

Equally, use our contact page if you have views for us to take to the Peel Ports meeting.

The Community Council have requested that the Clyde Marine Planning Partnership (CMPP) come to Fairlie to present information on and to answer questions relating to marine planning issues around our coastline. We expect this presentation to include information about Hunterston that is included in their Clyde Marine Region Assessment and the NAC Local Development Plan.

The Community Council meeting will start at 6.30pm to accommodate the CMPP presentation at 7.30pm in the Fairlie Village Hall. It is important that as many people as possible attend this event to make their opinions known to both the Community Council and CMPP.

The Community Council are generally concerned by the lack of information and community engagement that surrounds the current Hunterston Oil Rig decommissioning proposals and hope information supplied by CMPP will address some of these issues.